21 November 2007

Trauma Patients

More than half of trauma patients are not receiving good care. The National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death looked at the care given to 795 patients, many with head injuries from falls and crashes. It found medical staff in 200 hospitals in England, Wales and Northern Ireland often did not appreciate the severity and displayed little urgency.

NCEPOD said many of the problems identified in nearly 60% of patients treated across 200 hospitals were associated with staff being too inexperienced.

In particular, they found patients were not always given essential tests such as CT scans or assessed by hospital consultants, especially during the night.

"Our mortality rates are among the worst in the developed world, and yet trauma care remains a low priority for the government" -- Royal College of Surgeons spokesman